


Forever

by Ride4812



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Endgame, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-08-02 11:19:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16304192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ride4812/pseuds/Ride4812
Summary: It happened.





	Forever

**Author's Note:**

> This is all I could write. I wanted to leave them alone to live their beautiful, complicated life together without another writer interfering. Nothing we give them could be more beautiful than what they have.

For Ian, forever was human with ink black hair and petal pink lips. The bare, cold cell was instantly made warmer by the familiar scent of perfectly spiced skin—the only home Ian had ever known. He sputtered a moan into the nape of Mickey’s neck as powerful legs wrapped around his calves—figure eights, infinity. 

“You’re crazy,” Ian whispered, humming as tattooed fingers slid under the hem of his prison uniform and up the curve of his back. 

“And that’s a proclamation from Gay Jesus?” Mickey asked, tsking when Ian’s head popped up, green eyes wide, freckled cheeks flushed. “What? You don’t think I’ve been paying attention? You’ve been all over the news.” He cupped Ian’s strong jaw and sighed. “Been worried. That ain’t you.”

Ian shook his head and huffed, “We’re not talking about me.” He climbed off of Mickey and sat up straight on the end of the small, prison bed. “You were outta here. Sandals, beaches, tequila—gone. Why the hell would you come back?”

“The sun wasn’t for me,” Mickey shrugged. “And all the goddamn sand that gets everywhere...shit’s overrated.”

“Come on.” Ian raked his fingers through his hair and stared expectantly at Mickey, who suddenly looked uncomfortable under his gaze. 

“You c’mon with that hair,” Mickey retorted, nudging his knuckle against the side of his nose. “You’re a smart guy, Gallagher. Figure it out.”

“Because of me,” Ian grunted, shaking his head, his aggravation growing. “Because of me, Mickey? I wanted better for you. You deserve better than this.” He held his hands up to present the box they were sentenced to live in. “A life with me was going to be a prison for you to begin with, and here we are...”

“Oh quit feeling so sorry for yourself with the bipolar bullshit. I was in it for you. I’m still in it for you. You’re not just that, alright? I’ve been telling you the same shit for years and you don’t fucking listen. Stubborn ass.”

“I’m stubborn?” Ian scoffed. “Me?”

Mickey nodded. “Yup, I’m glad you’re finally admitting it.”

“And what about you? You do whatever you want. No sense of reason, just impulsively do what ever you want,” Ian asserted, trying not to smile as Mickey playfully tapped his upper thighs with the toe of his boot. 

“I never said I wasn’t,” Mickey replied easily. “You’re kinda far away, right now and this place isn’t that big.”

Ian grinned and sunk back into Mickey’s arms. There was an endless amount of things they needed to talk about, but they had time to touch on everything. In that moment it was time to touch each other. Their age old elixir that had made difficult times survivable was what they needed, so they took their time, reminding their bodies what it was like to be alright. The anxiety Ian had felt walking through the prison halls dissipated once his body was complete—two halves, one whole, it had always been them. It was unnatural to pretend otherwise. His life spiraled out of control when Ian tried to see past his anchor. The treachery of unknown waters had taken him off course and Ian was sure who he needed to navigate the rest of his days with. 

“What did you get for rolling on the cartel?” Ian asked, giving his mouth a much needed, but unappreciated rest, from being sutured to Mickey’s. 

“I got you,” Mickey stated simply. “So, it was pretty good deal.”

“But how long do we have?” Ian attempted to clarify, shaking his head vehemently when he saw the disappointment on Mickey’s face. 

“You gonna move on like you did before? How long’s too long for you to wait, Gallagher, hm? What am I worth to you? Cause you’re worth a hell of a lot to me,” Mickey iterated, non-discreetly glancing around the room. “How long’s too long to wait?”

The question reverberated in Ian’s mind. It should had been an easy response three years before when eight to fifteen was on the table. He should have kept his head down, worked to build up a successful career and got shit settled before Mickey’s release. He should have been less selfish, less stubborn. He should have been somebody he could recognize rather than a shell of the person he used to be. He should have been more, for Mickey, for himself. 

“I’ll give you my life,” Ian said finally, visions of a stack of cash and the Mexican border flashing through his head. 

“Sounds like a sentence,” Mickey remarked, raising his eyebrows. “Always thought we were supposed to be together, but I ain’t gonna try to lock it down if it isn’t what you want. It’s just that it’s always been you, and you’ve always been...” he paused. 

“I’ve always been what?”

“Unsure,” Mickey offered, licking his lips nervously. 

Ian laughed and ran his fingertips over the slight stumble on Mickey’s cheeks. “I’ve been unsure?”

“Mm-hmm. I sure as shit haven’t been.”

“I loved you since we were kids, never stopped loving you.”

“But you tried,” Mickey mumbled. 

“What?”

“You tried to stop loving me. I never tried to stop loving you.”

Despite himself Ian let out a hearty laugh. “That’s all you did for the first four years of our relationship.”

“And did you ever let me?”

“No.”

Mickey nodded. “So why do you think I’m going to now?”

“Because I don’t deserve it,” Ian replied, feeling the tears prickle in the corner of his eyes. “I should’ve...” he sighed, trying to figure out what he should apologize for first, “been better.”

They laid quietly for a beat, letting the sound of ‘I’m sorry,’ envelope their aching hearts. It was healing to hear it, and more fulfilling to feel it.” 

“Two-and-a-half-years inside and five on parole,” Mickey said. “That was my deal. Two-and-a-half wherever I wanted to be.”

“And you wanted to be with me,” Ian whispered. It wasn’t as much a question as it was a statement. He was in awe of the man below him. It was hard to imagine being as selfless as Mickey, as committed. He wanted to be. “I have two years.”

“The fuck you do,” Mickey grunted. “You’re gonna pressure that deadbeat sister of yours to get you a real fucking lawyer who knows how handle a case like yours.”

“A case like mine?” Ian repeated narrowing his eyes at Mickey. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what that’s supposed to mean?” Mickey stated. “You shouldn’t be in here at all.”

“But you’re here.”

“I’ve been a lot of places you never had to be?” Mickey reminded, palming Ian’s cheek and redirecting his gaze when Ian tried to look away. “None of it matters, okay?”

“It all matters a lot,” Ian disagreed. “I should’ve loved you enough.”

“Loved me enough for what?” Mickey wondered, sniffing uncomfortably at his own curiosity. 

“To show you how much I love you.”

“You can’t make yourself be somebody you’re not.”

“Yeah,” Ian nodded. “That’s how I ended up here.” 

“With me?” Mickey asked, looking like he wish he never did. 

“No, without you. That was how I got here. I never knew who I was when I wasn’t letting myself love you.”

“And you know who you are when you do?” Mickey questioned as a well of tears gathered on his waterline. 

“You’ve always been forever,” Ian promised, pressing his lips against Mickey’s perfect pout. 

“Forever looks different for us, Gallagher,” Mickey said, his wry laugh doing little to hide his pain. “Forever means fighting for this shit even when it gets hard.”

“It was harder to fight against it than to fight for it,” Ian stated, tucking his face into his soulmate’s neck. “I’m done fighting.”

“What if some fat fucking mick tries to steal my jello? Are you gonna he done fighting then?”

Ian laughed wetly into Mickey smooth skin. “I’ll back you up.”

“For the jello or...?” Mickey questioned, his voices warbling slightly with emotion. 

“Forever,” Ian stated solidly. “I’ll back you up forever. In and outta here, South Side or Mexico. Wherever you are is where I wanna go.” He pulled up enough to look into Mickey’s deep blue eyes. “I love you. I’ve always loved you. I’m gonna love you better.”

“And if you can’t?” Mickey asked, nearly choking on his words. 

“It’s not a question.”

“You’re ready to live and die right here on the South Side?”

“Wherever you go,” Ian reiterated. “I’m there. Forever.”

“And what’s forever? Some ‘till death do us part’ bullshit?” Mickey questioned, his voice steeped in all the unbroken promises he’d made in the past.

“That’s exactly what it is,” Ian asserted, “and beyond that too if that’s even a thing.”

“Fuck, I hope it’s not. This life’s been enough for me.”

“I should’ve been.”

“Should’ve been what?”

“Enough for you,” Ian replied, letting his fingertips travel down below Mickey’s uniform, onto the stretch of skin that bore his name. 

“You always were,” Mickey breathed, closing his eyes as if relishing the touch. 

“I want to be more than that.”

“So do it.”

Ian lifted an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge?”

“Maybe,” Mickey smirked. “I think I raised th bar pretty high with this shit though.”

“No doubt,” Ian grinned, cuddling close to Mickey again. “I’m gonna make it up to you.”

“And how are you gonna do that?” Mickey asked wrapping his arms and legs around Ian’s.

“I don’t know,” Ian admitted, relishing in the feeling of being full. “But I’ll try forever.” 

“If I let you,” Mickey teased, tickling Ian’s side until he was forced to roll over and take Mickey on top of him. 

“Bet I could convince you to let me,” Ian laughed, loving the way to felt to have Mickey’s weight resting on his body. 

“You bet you could, huh, Gallagher?” Mickey grinned, chuckling as Ian struggled to get back on top. 

“Definitely.”

“I guess we’ll see,” Mickey answered, clearly attempting to sound nonchalant when he was anything but. 

“We will,” Ian swore, crashing their lips together and inhaling the breath of the kiss.

Forever was too short a time.


End file.
